Improvement in fire-extinguishers



UNITED ?STATES HENRY s; PARMELEE, or NEw HAVEN, CONNECTICUT;y

PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

t Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. .154,076, datedAugust 11, 1874; application iiled June 24, 1874.

To 'all whom it may concern:

of New Haven, in the county of New Haven andState of Connecticut, haveinvented a` in'g and the letters of reference marked thereon,

to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawing constitutes partof this specification, and represents asectional view of the apparatus.

1 This invention relates to a device for attachment todistributing-pipes in buildings for extinguishing fires, theconstruction being such-that the heat which may be generatedinthewapartment will automatically open the valve 'and allow thedischarge of water.

The invention consists, first, in a shield or cover by which the fusiblematerial is protected'from a flow of water, that the heat may the morereadily act thereon; second, in a device in connection with thedistributing-pipes whereby the full ilow of water will be automaticallylet on so soon as one or more valves are openffand in connection withthe lastnamed device an alarm to be automatically sounded.

A is the main pipe, by which the water or other extinguishing fluid isconducted to the different points. In this pipe is a valve, B, by whichthe flow of water is cut off, the valve-stem heldout in a closedposition through a lever, D, as more fully hereinafter described. E isthe sprinkler, which consists of a hollow chamber, numerouslyperforated, so that water passing into the said chamber under pressurewill be forced therefrom in numerous jets. F is a valve standing belowthe chamber, and so as to prevent the ow of water tothe chamber. G, thevalve-stem, extends up, and over this a cap, H, is arranged, bearingupon the said spindle. Around the valve-chamber is a spiral spring, I,the spring attached to the cap H by eyes L. These eyes are of a materialwhich will fuse at a comparatively low temperature, say at 150O or 200Oof heat. Through the cap is an adjusting-screw, N, which bears upon thespindle, so that by turning the screw N the pressure of the spring maybe brought to bear upon and hold down Y the valve. The strength of thisspring should e Be 1t known that I, HENRY S. PARMELEE,

be a little greater than the maximum pressure of the water, or whateverthe fluid may be. The sprinklers E are arranged in different parts ofthe apartment whenever it may be desirable to discharge the water andthe water supplied thereto under pressure. If at any time av' iireoccurs in the apartment, so soon as the heat has become so great as tofuse the eyes L on any one of the distributers, the pressure above, thevalve will be removed, and the water will then force the valve up, passinto the sprinklers E, and be thrown therefrom in jets. In order thatthe jets from one sprinkler may not fall upon the eyes L, and thusprevent the subsequent fusing of these plugs by the continuation of thefire, the cap extends down so as to inclose the eyes L, and prevents thewater from one sprinkler entering the eyes of another.

There is liable to be more or less drip from the sprinklers by leakagefrom the valves. To prevent this from running down or dropping a cup, d,is arranged beneath the sprinkler E, into which the drip will pass, andthen may be wiped out or, if a small quantity, it will evaporate.

y In orderto prevent the cold water-with which the valve Gis always incontact-from communicating its low degree to the cap H, and therebyprevent as early a fusion of the eyes L as there would otherwise be, Iplace between the valve-stem and the cap a nonconducting material, a.

' To avoid keeping the full head from the supply-pipe A upon thedistributers, the valve B is employed to cut off the principalcomlmunication between the pipe A and the dis tributers; and in orderthat the valve B may be opened to allow a full supply of water whenevera fire occurs, I attach the valve-lever D to the rod P of a piston, R,by means of a wire, b. When the piston drops, as denoted in brokenlines, a spring, S, will draw the lever D forward and open the valve.The piston It is held up to secure the valve, and its action madeautomatic in the following manner: From the supply-pipe below the valveB a tube, T, of less area than one of the sprinklers, leads to beneaththe piston R, and also to the pipe above the valve, to which thesevenral sprinklers are' attached. A spring, II,

4bears upon the piston R 'with a lpressure less sprinkler-valve israised,.then the pressure between that `valve and the sprinkler will bereduced, because the supply through the tube T will be less thanthecapacity of the sprinkler; hence the pressure beneath the piston willbe correspondingly reduced, and the pressure aboyevthe. piston Willforce it down, .releasing the connectionl between the piston and thelever I), so that the valve will be instantly' opened to furnish thefull supply. Y

yIn order tosound an alarm when the sprink-I l'ler is open, asteam-whistle is connected to the 'piston P in like mannerpas tothe'valve in Jche supply-pipe described,and as also seen in the drawlng;hence, whenever the sprinkler is open, the alarm will be sounded.

I have represented the alarm as being that of a steam-whistle but anyother alarm which may be tripped or made by disconnection, as described,may be employed. This alarm will lbe sounded if a leak should occur atany-point, 'if that leak be larger than the tube T.

If desirable, fusible metal may be placed between the Valve-stem and thescrew N 5 in` that case the-eyes L may be a hard or'nonfusible metal, itonly being essential that a fusible material be placed at some point tosustain the pressure upon the valve until fused.

I claim as my invention- Y 1. In combination with the sprinkler E, valveF, spring I, and fusible supports, the cap II, extending down around thesaid supvports, substantially as and for -the purpose specified.

2. In combination` with the sprinkler E,

- pose specified.

3. In combination withvthe .supply-pipeA and distributing-pipes, thevalve B between the supply and distributing pipes, the tube Tcommunicating from the supply-pipe below the Valve to thedistributing-pipe above land to the piston It, the said piston providedwith a spring, U, and connected to the said valve B, all substantiallyas and for the purpose described. Y

v HENRY S. PARMELEE.

Witnesses:

A. J. TIBBITS, J. H. SHUMWAY.

